Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G Vs Galaxy S3: Which will be the Biggest Threat to Apple iPhone 5?

Samsung continues to be secretive over the highly anticipated release of its flagship smartphone - Samsung Galaxy S3 - even amidst escalating rumours about its new launch date, dual-boot OS launchers and a new set of features.

There have been leaked photos online, from sources like GSM Helpdesk and Reddit, which further strengthen claims for launch date of around 22 May; the photos also reveal a probable dual-boot OS - Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) with Touchwiz Overlay and Vanilla ICS onboard.

Meanwhile, a press release from PRWeb, suggests the launch of the Galaxy S Blaze 4G - is scheduled for 28 March at midnight PDT. The new smartphone will be up for grabs on Wirefly - the Internet's premiere retailer - at a special price of $149.99 with instant discount for both new and upgrade-eligible T-Mobile customers. The phone will be launched exclusively on T-Mobile and debut on Wirefly's online sales service.

Check out the two phones' features...

Display: The Galaxy S3 will sport a 4.8in Super AMOLED Plus full HD display (1080p) at 313ppi pixel density and also include the Corning Gorilla Glass protection against scratches. Reports suggest the display supports 16:9 aspect ratio with 3D capability.

On the other hand, the Galaxy Blaze 4G features a 3.97in Super AMOLED capacitive touch-screen (480 x 800 pixels) at 235ppi pixel density, adding support for multi-touch input.

Dimensions: The Blaze 4G weighs 127g and is 121.7x62.9x11.2mm in thickness. By comparison, the S3 is expected to be 8.9mm thick and weigh 126g.

Memory: Samsung's S3 will reportedly include 2GB of RAM and a choice of either 16GB or 32GB of onboard storage, with support for microSD slot expandable up to 32GB. The Blaze 4G supports only 1GB RAM, with identical storage capability and microSD expansion options.

Operating System: Samsung's Blaze 4G ships with the rather outdated Gingerbread platform (Android v2.3), while the S3 is expected to feature dual-boot OS - ICS with Touchwiz overlay and vanilla ICS. The former will port TouchWiz 3.0 or better, while the latter harbours TouchWiz 4.0.

Processor: The S3 is expected to ship with a 1.8GHz quad-core processor based on the Exynos 4212/Exyos 5250 chipset, while the Blaze 4G will feature 1.5GHz Scorpion processor based on Qualcomm's MSM8260 Snapdragon chipset.

Connectivity and Network: The Blaze 4G is designed to operate on T-Mobile's blazing-fast HSPA+42 networks at 4G speeds. The connectivity options also include Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n besides supporting Wi-Fi hotspots and Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP.

In contrast, the S3 also supports similar Wi-Fi capabilities alongside Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP connectivity. The 4G LTE support includes LTE 700 network band, alongside 3G HSDPA 850/900/1900 and 2100 MHz bands.

Camera: The Blaze 4G ports a 5 megapixel auto-focus rear-facing camera and a 720p HD video recorder, plus a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera for video chatting using the preloaded Qik app. In contrast, the S3 is expected to sport a 12 megapixel rear camera, coupled with a 2 megapixel front camera for video chats that will also support 720p video recording.

Both phones include advanced camera features such as Geo-tagging, touch focus, face and smile detection and image stabilization. The former supports 720p video recording at 30fps (frames per second), while the latter offers full HD video recording at 30fps.

Battery: The Blaze 4G features a standard 1750mAh Li-ion battery, while the S3 is expected to flaunt a larger and more powerful 2250mAh battery for longer battery-life.

Overall, both smartphones impress with power-packed configurations. Nevertheless, the S3 seems to have a slight edge with marginally better specifications to boot and might ride on the popularity of its predecessor - the Galaxy S2 - and its sales records. That said, the Blaze 4G will still be a force to reckon, at least until the Galaxy S3 finally arrives.

Expect some tough challenge for both the S3 and the iPhone 5, as the Blaze 4G is no pushover.

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